The lower ground floor houses a beautiful circular chamber with a central pilaster known as the ‘oliera’, as in the past this space would have preserved oil.
This room currently exhibits the ‘Mythology’ section where, through the painted vases belonging to the Museum’s collection along with realistic reconstructions of the ‘Divine’ army belonging to Achilles, the Homeric mythology of the Iliad is specifically documented. The next section leads to the old cellars in the building; here the scenographic effect of the gallery, excavated into sand stone, perfectly ties in with the reconstructions of the VII century BC sepulchral rooms recovered in the Necropolis of Foce – Tolle.
There are different types of sepulchral chambers presented, Ziro style tombs, Chamber tombs and Cassone Tombs along with the human like cinerary urns known as ‘Canopic’ jars. At the end of this gallery there is an imposing figure belonging to the Mater Matuta, which introduces the permanent exhibition documenting the role of the woman in Etruscan society, where the importance of their role is explored as it was a role very different from any other coeval civilisations.
Of particular importance are the cinerary items depicting the winged goddess Vanth, who is shown holding the deceased’s scroll of destiny in her hand who is situated at her side, while one of her wings appears to almost embrace him. Outside of the gallery, there is a section that is dedicated to temporary exhibitions, which is currently showcasing the history of the Etruscan Civilisation through the ceramic vases they used throughout the various stages of their history.
This floor is completed by the section covering the Etruscan language, which is explored through videos and informative reproductions together with objects that were recovered during the excavations of tombs, testifying to the elevated cultural standing held by the Etruscan aristocrats in the territory.
The ground floor houses the evocative, real life reconstruction of a sepulchral room belonging to a funerary chamber that was recovered in the territory of Chianciano’s Thermal Springs, which brought to light some of the richest sepulchral finds discovered to date. It is likely that this would have been a Princely tomb dating to the VII century B.C.. It was discovered near the town along an important road axle which, across the Orcia and Ombrone valleys, leads towards the important Etruscan coastal cities of Vetulonia and Populonia. The artefacts recovered clearly indicate the deceased’s status, perhaps an aristocrat who at the moment of his passing wanted to surround himself with symbolic objects, such as those making up his funerary symposium. This included a rare bronze leaf table with the main body and legs decorated with embossed patterns, along with the other symposium items such as vases and andirons. Notable is the globular bronze ossuary, which would have originally been topped with a wooden head, of which only the gold leaf and bone and amber eyes belonging to the mask today remain. There is also a splendid embossed bronze shield depicting geometric and zoomorphic motifs present. Another interesting tomb is exhibited in this room, which is two centuries more recent and boasts multiple sepulchres, where house shaped cinerary urns can be observed made of fetid stone where the deceased’s ashes were deposited, decorated with vibrant colours testifying to the chromatic wealth of this ancient world.
The highest floor in the museum houses the evocative exhibition dedicated to the Etruscan symposium; here, visitors are virtually invited to explore the residence of an Etruscan Prince by the name of "Aranth". This section offers the possibility to view a virtual reconstruction of an Etruscan banqueting hall, inclusive of tricliniums where the Etruscans partially reclined to consume their meals alongside their wives, which was a very scandalous custom given the era. There are a number of ritualistic and everyday objects exhibited in the room that were connected with their dining practices, particularly with regards to the consumption of meat and wine, wine being a beverage that for the Etruscans was strongly associated with their divinities. Another room houses finds that were recovered from excavations carried out in a thermal complex that dates back to the Augustan age, which the renowned poet Orazio once frequented in order to reap the healing properties of the waters of Chianciano. This room also showcases a number of artefacts that were donated to the Museum by local citizens. Furthermore, this room also has a balustrade that offers a unique view of a pediment belonging to the Temple of Fucoli, located below.
We continue our journey by entering this first room where we can explore the Etruscan customs linked to food preparation. The room offers reconstructions of specific areas linked to this practice, such as the reconstruction of a farm environment, which was discovered near the inhabited centre where it is possible to observe the vinification practice of the time and the construction techniques applied to farms dating to the 2nd century B.C.
Following on, we enter the kingdom of the sacred and religious Etruscan practices. The main room houses a life-size reconstruction of a pediment belonging to an Etruscan temple, where statues and friezes recovered near the Thermal Spring are displayed, the water from which is still used by the ‘Fuocolis’ Thermal Baths to date.
The lateral acroterion depicts a splendid winged female figure, perhaps the goddess Thesan along with an enigmatic bearded male figure. A further room boasts the remains of an Etruscan sanctuary dating back to the IV century B.C., which was recovered near the thermal spring of Sillene. Of particular interest is a bronze biga (chariot) which is likely being driven by Diana Selena, the protective goddess of the waters. This room documents the fundamental principles of Etruscan religiousness with informative panels and thematic videos for assistance.
This museum is considered to be one of the most beautiful Etruscan Museums around, due to the wealth of artefacts it houses, the suggestive ways in which it exhibits them and thanks to the attention and customer focus it provides to ensure the most comfortable stay possible for those visiting the site.
More than just a Museum, it has been described as a very interesting and comprehensive showcase of the Etruscan civilisation.
The exhibition is set out in thematic sections that illustrate all aspects of the lives and deaths of these ancient inhabitants of Tuscany, through the splendid artefacts recovered, evocative reconstructions, descriptions, images and short videos available. The building that houses the exhibition was once an old granary barn dating to the start of the 19th century. The underground floor is extremely suggestive and was once used as a cellar boasting a gallery carved from the sand. The Museum’s structure was established in 1997 following a long period of development work carried out by volunteers linked to the local Geo-archaeological Association. Their precious work allowed for the creation of a Museum space that could exhibit the Etruscan archaeological finds that could be contextualised within their own environments. The Museum spreads itself across four floors and recounts the extraordinary history of the ancient world that once thrived in these lands.
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